I am a Volunteer. What happens if I am injured at work?

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There are a lot of people who volunteer to work for their favourite charity or institution, but what happens if you are injured or worse whilst undertaking work for your chosen organisation? We hope this article explains what your entitlements are as a volunteer worker.

A volunteer is a person who contributes their time, skills and experience for no payment to benefit the community, through an organisation or group. A volunteer is different to an individual who offers an informal helping hand.

Volunteers are likely to have accidents and be injured at work in the same way as any other worker. Perhaps the risk may be higher for volunteers, because they have not received the same level of training than paid employees may have had.

Every Queensland employer must have a policy of insurance to cover their workers’ in the event that the worker suffers an injury at work (or on their way to or from work). The law specifically says that a volunteer is covered by the definition of “worker” in relation to workers’ compensation entitlements. The definition of “worker” also includes persons performing community service, SES workers and students.

Volunteers are effectively offered the same protection as employees for both workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety.

If you or any member of your family is a volunteer and you need advice on a personal injury claim, contact GC Law on 1300 302 318 or you can visit our Free Case Review page. We’ll get back to you within 12 hours, try it out now!

Alica Bradford is part of the GC Law team of personal injury and compensation lawyers.